Like it Should Be
by bunnyrave1
Summary: An Ichihime one shot. It's a drabble based off the song "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard.


_**There's a place off Ocean Avenue  
Where I used to sit and talk with you **_

_Orihime looked up from her book as a tall figure with orange hair sat down next to her on the park bench. She flushed._

_ "Hey Inoue." Ichigo raised his hand in a wave._

_**We were both 16 and it felt so right  
Sleeping all day, staying up all night  
Staying up all night **_

_ "K-K-Kurosaki. You startled me." Orihime snapped her book shut as her blush grew deeper._

_ Ichigo laughed at her. "Your very easy to startle, Inoue." he swiped the book she had been reading from her hands and flipped it open. "A cookbook?" he asked as he skimmed through the pages._

_ "I-Its an exotic food cookbook." Orihime squeaked. She always got so nervous around Kurosaki. "I was reading through it to try and come up with some new ideas."_

_ This got the two teens talking about weird foods. Soon the conversation turned to other things like weird names and crazy legends. The two redheads talked and talked. They hadn't noticed that the sun had begun to slip down the skyline, casting the sky a glow with deep reds and oranges all across the city._

_**There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street  
We would walk on the beach in our bare feet **_

_"I can't believe its already sunset." Ichigo said after Orihime's tale about faeries. She looked up at the sky, and Ichigo could swear that she looked a little sad. Orihime jumped off the park bench._

_ "Well, I guess I better be heading home." as she turned to leave, she felt a hand grip her wrist lightly._

_ "Sorry for asking so sudden, Inoue, but would you like to go down to the beach with me?"_

_ "Now?" she turned around and looked at Ichigo, eyebrows raised. "While the sun's setting and there's not that many people?"_

_ In the red light of the setting sun, Orihime saw Ichigo blush._

_ "Well thats the best part," Ichigo was shifting his gaze around. "There won't be a crowd and we can just walk around, Unless you don't want to." Ichigo dropped his hand and looked to the ground._

_ "S-Sure." Orihime stammered. Her blush came back as Ichigo looked up and smiled at her._

_**We were both 18 and it felt so right  
Sleeping all day, staying up all night  
Staying up all night **_

_ The sun had almost completely set by now. The red-orange rays bounced off the calm waves of the Pacific ocean and the moon was starting to rise. Ichigo and Orihime had taken off their shoes and were walking next to each other, feet squishing in the crumbling sand that was trying to keep the last of the day's warmth inside it. _

_ They said nothing, and yet it meant everything._

_**If I could find you now things would get better  
We could leave this town and run forever **_

Orihime smiled at the happy memory. She was sitting at her mahogany desk staring at the night sky, trying to see the few stars that weren't blocked by the city's lights.

"Oh Ichigo." she sighed and twirled her index finger in a strand of orange hair. "Where are you now? Are you safe?" Orihime looked at the sky again. She wanted to see him so badly right now.

_**Let your waves crash down on me and take me away **_

_"Wherever you are please make it home safe."_ she thought.

_**There's a piece of you that's here with me  
It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see **_

She got up from her desk and walked over to her bed. She crawled into the warm blankets and stared at the picture of her and Ichigo on her nightstand. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but visions of Ichigo filled her mind, ruining her focus.

_**When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by  
I can make believe that you're here tonight  
That you're here tonight **_

Orihime got up. She had finally been able to get to sleep, but now she was awake again. It was three in morning and she smelled bacon. Someone whistled. The red-head bolted up from bed. She ran to her closet and pulled out a tennis racket. She slowly crept down the stairs, trying to avoid any noise. Orihime snuck up the the kitchen entrance. She paused. Then she ran out swinging her racket wildly.

"Kyyyaaaahhhh!" she yelled out. She approached the stranger's back and swung with all her might.

WHACK!

The stranger groaned and rubbed his head. "Geez Orihime, do you have to hit so hard?" he said.

Orihime, who had been standing there clutching the tennis racket, getting ready for another swing, promptly dropped it onto the floor with a clatter.

"Ichigo!" she cried. Orihime ran towards him, arms outstreched. He reached out to her on coming figure and-

Completely vanished. Orihime ran through the spot where he was and banged into the wall. She was all alone.

_**If I could find you now things would get better  
We could leave this town and run forever **_

Orihime was crying.

"Dream, just a dream." she told herself. And what I cruel dream it was.

_"Its not fair!"_ she thought. _"Why does Ichigo have to be in Soul Society! Why couldn't I come along! Why, why, why!"_

_**I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together  
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away **_

Orihime balled up her fists.

_"Get a hold of yourself!"_ she chided. _"Your'e a big girl, you shouldn't be sobbing over a silly dream! Ichigo won't be gone forever! He'll be back again!"_

She calmed tried to calm down. Her thoughts started drifting elsewhere.

_**I remember the look in your eyes  
When I told you that this was goodbye **_

_ "What do you mean your leaving!" Orihime gaped at her boyfriend._

_ "I'm needed in Soul Society." Ichigo looked down to the ground. He hated seeing Orihime upset._

_ "And I can't come?" Ichigo shook his head._

_**You were begging me not tonight  
Not here, not now **_

_ "Please Ichigo," Orihime begged, her eyes beginning to swell with tears. "Isn't there any way you can say no? I hardly ever get to see you and now you're leaving me for who knows how long." She started to cry._

_ "I'm sorry 'Hime, but Captain __Kuchiki said ordered me to go," he chuckled darkly. " And I'd rather not mess with him. Besides, I'll be home soon, I promise."_

_**We're looking up at the same night sky  
And keep pretending the sun will not rise **_

Orihime stared out the window from her bed. She could see a few more stars, but not many. She wondered if Ichigo was looking at the sky, thinking of her.

_**Be together for one more night  
Somewhere, somehow **_

_ "I can feel him," _she thought._ "He's safe, and he'll come home soon."_

Orihime was calm now, and fell asleep quicker.

_**If I could find you now things would get better  
We could leave this town and run forever **_

Her dreams were much happier. She was on the beach, it was sunset. And Ichigo was by her side. They looked at each other wordlessly, then grabbed hands and started running towards the ocean. They had no worries, no doubts, no regrets.

_**I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together  
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away **_

Hands clenched, arms locked, they ran into the sea together. Like it should be. Like it always will.


End file.
